Update on my Callie..who needed to lose weight and is recovering from double knee surgery (Luxating Patellas) and cannot excercise at all..( 3 weeks to go..then she can start walking more! )
Since switching her to Wellness Core Reduced Fat formula...she went from 54.7 pounds down to 48.2 pounds! For the first time I can feel her ribs and she has a little "tuck"...even at 14 weeks she didn't have a tuck or ribs that could be felt..And she loves the food...it is the ONLY food I have been able to make a full switch to with absolutely no diarrea or loose stools. Her stools are firm and they don't smell half as badly as they used to! She did get one "hot spot" a few days after the full switch, but I don't know if that was food related. I did switch her kind of quickly because I had to get her off the Nutro diet formula. I meaure out 3/4 cup of kibble mixed with a 6 oz can of wellness. I stuff about 1/3 of that into a kong and freeze it for her breakfast. The remainder she gets for dinner. She gets no treats at all...except for her join supplements which she loves...lol. I think for her, a weight between 43-45 lbs would be perfect...she really needs to be lean to avoid any future knee problems. She definately looks so much better...and her knees are healing really well. She is allowed one 10 minute walk per day now.
I really love the Wellness formula...and I am now switching my other dog to the regular Wellness Core. I think getting him off food with so many fillers will help with his dry skin problem..and he just loves the taste of that kibble. I have never seen him enjoy kibble so much. With him I mix the kibble with 1/2 can of Natural Balance..which he also loves. No loose stools or any digestive problems for him either so far. I am going slower with him though because he is prone to hot spots...he is at 1/2 Wellness and 1/2 Nutro...the Nutro bag is almost empty now, so a complete switch will be done next week.
Thanks for all the advice, especially about the Wellness and the Kong for breakfast...that keeps Callie busy for an hour and she really doesn't act like she is starving anymore, since it takes her so long to eat it. I'll post Before and After pictures next week after her next weigh in.